WHAT'S IN YOUR PARKING SPOT?

[Jarlaxle]

2011 Ford police Crown Vic...125K miles, white. Just did a 2200 mile trip with it without a problem.

[No Greater Fool]

2006 RAV4 with ~35000 miles on the clock.

[Sue U]

I drive one of these:



2008 VW Passat, now has about 67k on it. It's blue (just like in the pic) and it's now paid for (bought it coming off a lease in 2011).

[Bicycle Bill]

for some reason my truck always seems to be featured in horror movies and Viagra commercials.....


econoline drives a dodge van?

GMC=jimmy

holly drives a 1990 Cherokee

And I'll bet a cookie that this is wesw's vehicle —



-"BB"-

[MajGenl.Meade]

That's unfair, BB. wesw wouldn't miss that it should be "euthanize" and "who", surely?

He might not get the clash between singular and plural though...

[RayThom]

Did someone say "euthanasia?"

[Scooter]

groan

Seriously though, no one here seems to be interested in having the newest, shiniest, pimpiest ride. Pretty much all oldish, get-me-and-what-I'm-carrying-where-I-need-to-be choices.

[kristina]

I've often wondered what kinds of people drive electric toasters such as the Scion XBox and the Cube. kristina and econo being examples, I'm even more confused

I've wondered the same thing about folks who choose to drive a Jimmy or cars with stupid names like that.

I got the car because:

a. price (well under $20K, IIRC)
2. stick shift
III. amazing cargo space when the back seats are down
iv. it fit/felt comfortable/right when I test drove it
E. great visibility from the inside
f. it's red!

It is not a car for a long road trip (think slightly more comfortable than a 60's era VW beetle), but it's perfect for me. I can fit a chair in the back (I work for an upholsterer); I can haul plants and soil from the nursery, or fenceposts and other stuff from the hardware store/lumber yard. The ex and I were able to fit a range hood, kitchen sink and all the tools we needed when we were remodeling an apartment for a client of his.

I was told (by a customer who has the same car) that this model was designed originally to be an urban delivery van for the Japan market (Scion is made by Toyota). Never researched it to see if it's true, but it's a good story.

[BoSoxGal]

It's nice to see that, I agree.

For the record, I like the box and cube - and the cube color especially!

Reva is back on the road and running better than ever, plus newly inspected so ready to be made legit on Friday when I get paid. This will be her plate:



My new awesome mechanic, who turns out to be a fellow Masshole from the same area also transplanted to Maine, checked her over and told me he was sure I'd get another 150k miles relatively trouble-free from her - just replacing the occasional part, like a water pump, that has a limited lifetime much shorter than the engine.

FYI, he says the last guy who changed my timing belt should have changed the water pump then as well, so my timing belt wasn't badly worn but was made less viable by the fluids that get on it during an event like this and the taking apart of things, so he got the full kit and put in a new belt so it will last longer.

He was really nice - with gorgeous blue eyes - and showed me all my old parts and explained it all to me like I really could understand, which I could with his help. I didn't ask him to do this, he just did - which is why I asked him to never retire because I'm never taking my car anywhere else! I've found nice mechanics in the past that I knew were doing me a solid, but never one who also cared enough to explain how things work and why they broke.

He also charged me less than the book price on the fix because he's faster than the book and passes the savings on to customers. That's why his yard is full of cars and he's swamped with work, I'm sure - a great mechanic is worth his weight in gold! So I'm that much more grateful he put Reva first, which he did because I couldn't get home and back to work without my car - no rental car coverage, no money in the bank until payday.

Anyway, parts, labor and sticker I paid $673, which is less than I paid for just a timing belt/labor in 2009 in NY at a shop near my sister's that they use. AND he took a postdated check, so he's not getting paid until Friday.

AND he does body work; he gave me a tour of his garaged cars and motorcycles - he has one bike that has three different metal bodies he can put on it, each prettier custom painted than the last - and told me he could make Reva's redneck bodywork perfect for less than $500. So that's next month or the month after, hopefully! I really want to forestall her getting any rust, which I know is the only thing that keeps cars like her from running forever here on the coast.

So, he spent an hour with me, showing me around his place, his backyard pond, his custom vehicles, his house a little even - and talking about Massachusetts, the Cape, our histories of getting here, stories of bad mechanics and bad lawyers. He made eye contact the whole time which was a little unsettling because of those dreamy blue eyes . . . I mean, we are talking Paul Newman blue.

I really felt like I was trying to get him paid so I could leave and save his time, but he seemed to be . . . I don't know, extending our interaction more than entirely necessary. I would even say flirting but, a) he has a girlfriend and, b) while I've continued losing weight I'm still fairly plump - though I am getting my hourglass and my glow back, for sure.

When I got ready to leave he gave me a hug, even.

Could he have been flirting?

Who cares. He fixed my car for cheap and did me a solid, I already consider him a dreamboat and I'm totally in love. Now I just have to figure out how to get rid of the girlfriend* . . .






*Just kidding, of course. Men scare me a little, as does commitment - I get along fine with both, but I don't like to share much of my time. My perfect man would live an hour away, visit a few times a month, and be really into cars or motorcycles or golfing or hunting.

Or sailing, in which case I'd go along, but be sitting up front alone a good part of the time. Just a loner by nature, I guess . . .

[Jarlaxle]

Whoa, important note: after you get the bodywork done, you NEED to get your RAV undercoated! There is a place in Concord that does it...costs $140, takes about an hour and a half.

www.nhoilundercoating.com

[Joe Guy]

I added a black 2016 Honda Fit to my driveway in January. It's the first Honda I've ever owned. It's fun to drive. I've got almost 600 miles on it now so I hope I don't wear it out too soon

[MG McAnick]

My 1961 MGA, among others. Not mine, but darned near identical when mine had a fresh paint job.

[Gob]

My 1961 MGA, among others. Not mine, but darned near identical when mine had a fresh paint job.

I'll take it off your hands for a reasonable price. Mates rates?

[RayThom]

I'll take it off your hands for a reasonable price. Mates rates?

It's LHD... you'd be too confused to drive it properly.

[BoSoxGal]

Whoa, important note: after you get the bodywork done, you NEED to get your RAV undercoated! There is a place in Concord that does it...costs $140, takes about an hour and a half.

http://www.nhoilundercoating.com

She's originally a Maine car, but was garaged here and then went out West. Has already spent a winter in Massachusetts and a summer sitting by the beach all night 4 days a week when I was a night guard at a private beach - and she was engulfed in fog and mist a lot. That was 8 years ago and no rust - so I'm thinking maybe she came with undercoating?

Or do you think I should check into that anyway?

[kmccune]

There should be a better type of rust treatment availaible by now ,especially on an older classic I wouldnt use conventional undercoating ,tip-dont drive in bad weather and be religious about washing the chassis off .

[MajGenl.Meade]

"Fit" - now there's a car name that I could never purchase. Might as well be called a "Coma" or "Irritable Bowel Syndrome"

Same goes for a Murano - sounds like a medical treatment for nasal or eye problems

[BoSoxGal]

There should be a better type of rust treatment availaible by now ,especially on an older classic I wouldnt use conventional undercoating ,tip-dont drive in bad weather and be religious about washing the chassis off .

I live in coastal Maine; I can't stay home all winter.

[Econoline]

I think you should go back to your wonderful new mechanic (you were looking for an excuse, weren't you?) and ask him whether you need undercoating.

[BoSoxGal]